After years and years of spinning their wheels, it appears that the Cardinals might finally be ready to compete for the NFC West championship next season.

I know they only finished 8-8 last season, but 8-8 might get you into the playoffs in the NFC in some years.

Matt Leinart needs to take the next step in his development in 2008.

We’re starting to hear whispers of “bust” being pointed in his direction. I’m not amoung those whispering, but I do agree that this is a huge season for Leinart.

His offense has the weapons. It’s up to him to get the ball in their hands.

The Cardinals might look to upgrade the running back position early in the draft.

Edgerrin James put up decent numbers last season, but he hasn’t been the guy they thought they were getting when they signed him away from the Colts.

In his two years with the Cardinals, he’s averaged 3.4 and 3.8 yards per carry.

That’s just not going to get the job done. And he's not getting any younger. James will be 30 when the season starts. For a running back, that’s ancient.

The Cards might look at someone like Rashard Mendenhall or Jonathan Stewart as someone to split carries in 2008 then eventually replace him as the feature back in 2009.

I’m not sure that would be the wisest move.

They can grab a running back later in the draft who would be more than capable of splitting carries in 2008 (someone like Chris Johnson out of East Carolina).

Their first round pick needs to be used to improve their defense.

I know it’s a common theme in this mock draft series, but most of these teams are picking in the first half of the draft because of their lack of defense.

The biggest need for Arizona is their secondary.

The Pick: Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida

Jenkins has the right size (5’11, 200 pounds) and speed (4.40 40-time) to be an NFL cornerback.

He has experience as both a safety and a cornerback. He's been one of the better cover corners in the nation over the last two years.

The knock on him is a potential lack of toughness. He also has some character questions after a brush with the law last March.

But he’s a guy who showed on the field in college that he could play. He’s not a workout warrior or a combine-kid, he was a playmaker on the field.

I have him as the third best cornerback in the draft. I think he’d be a pretty good addition to the Arizona defense. He can start as a special teamer, play the nickel back, and he can backup both safety positions.

Which means he'll step right in and contribute right away. Which is exactly what the Cardinals are looking for.